Lucknow: BJP on Friday observed a `black day`
across the state in protest against alleged police excesses
during a maharally here even as state unit president Ramapati
Ram Tripathi and former national president Rajnath Singh`s son
were taken into custody for violating prohibitory orders.
Besides, Rajnath Singh`s son Pankaj, BJP vice president
Surya Pratap Shahi and two MLAs were arrested when they were
protesting against "police atrocities" on partymen during a
clash that erupted after they were prevented from marching to
the state assembly yesterday after the maharally against price
rise.
Nearly 35 persons, including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, some
senior leaders and policemen were injured in the clash.
BJP workers wearing black bands took out a silent march
from the party office to the Gandhi statue where they staged a
dharna.
Tripathi, who along with others was taken to the police
lines, told reporters that they were staging a silent protest
against "police excesses" when police arrested them.
Alleging police action as "political terrorism", he said
a memorandum has been handed over to the district authorities,
addressed to Governor B L Joshi demanding "action against BSP
government which is crushing democratic rights of the people
and requesting him to send a report to the Centre in this
connection."
Meanwhile, ADG (law and order) Brij Lal said the BJP
leaders, including MLAs Suresh Tewari and Vidya Sagar Gupta,
were released in the evening.
Over reports that BJP workers had beaten up an additional
superintendent of police during the clashes, he said a case
has been registered in this connection.
PTI
